Kaithal, Haryana: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promised to "return the love" of election-bound Haryana "with interest."
In the Congress-ruled state to lay the foundation stone for a road project, Mr Modi said at a public meeting in Kaithal, "I assure you all that I will return your love with interest. I will give you development in return."
His large, energetic audience chanted "Modi, Modi" through his speech, roaring in approval when he said, "Even after assuming the responsibilities of your Pradhan sevak, I reiterate Haryana has a special right to make demands of me." This was Mr Modi's first visit to Haryana after he took over as Prime Minister.
In the national elections three months ago, Mr Modi's party, the BJP, won all eight of the ten seats in the state that it contested, and it hopes to extend that performance in the state elections.
The party is assessing whether to dump its ally, the Haryana Janhit Congress or HJC, and contest the October elections alone. HJC Chief Kuldeep Bishnoi was not present at the function today. Sources said he was not invited.
He was also missing on stage at every public rally that Mr Modi addressed in Haryana for the general elections.
The HJC contested two Lok Sabha seats and lost both. The BJP has told Mr Bishnoi that after such a performance he must not insist on contesting half of the 90 Assembly seats in Haryana. Mr Bishnoi has in turn accused the BJP of "violating the coalition dharma."
He has also written an angry letter to Mr Modi and BJP president Amit Shah complaining that state BJP leaders regularly skip inviting him.
Sources say the BJP's rethink on its alliance with Mr Bishnoi is not just about seat-sharing or that he might stake claim to being chief minister if the alliance wins the election.
The ruling party is eyeing the assembly elections in four states - possibly five - this year as an opportunity to make up numbers in the Rajya Sabha, where it is in a minority and can't push legislation without the help of opposition parties. It has to contest and win as many seats as it can in these states.
In the Congress-ruled state to lay the foundation stone for a road project, Mr Modi said at a public meeting in Kaithal, "I assure you all that I will return your love with interest. I will give you development in return."
His large, energetic audience chanted "Modi, Modi" through his speech, roaring in approval when he said, "Even after assuming the responsibilities of your Pradhan sevak, I reiterate Haryana has a special right to make demands of me." This was Mr Modi's first visit to Haryana after he took over as Prime Minister.
In the national elections three months ago, Mr Modi's party, the BJP, won all eight of the ten seats in the state that it contested, and it hopes to extend that performance in the state elections.
The party is assessing whether to dump its ally, the Haryana Janhit Congress or HJC, and contest the October elections alone. HJC Chief Kuldeep Bishnoi was not present at the function today. Sources said he was not invited.
He was also missing on stage at every public rally that Mr Modi addressed in Haryana for the general elections.
The HJC contested two Lok Sabha seats and lost both. The BJP has told Mr Bishnoi that after such a performance he must not insist on contesting half of the 90 Assembly seats in Haryana. Mr Bishnoi has in turn accused the BJP of "violating the coalition dharma."
He has also written an angry letter to Mr Modi and BJP president Amit Shah complaining that state BJP leaders regularly skip inviting him.
Sources say the BJP's rethink on its alliance with Mr Bishnoi is not just about seat-sharing or that he might stake claim to being chief minister if the alliance wins the election.
The ruling party is eyeing the assembly elections in four states - possibly five - this year as an opportunity to make up numbers in the Rajya Sabha, where it is in a minority and can't push legislation without the help of opposition parties. It has to contest and win as many seats as it can in these states.
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